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Netflix’s This Is The Zodiac Speaking dives deep into the chilling mystery of the Zodiac killer and his victims, shedding new light on Arthur Leigh Allen, the prime suspect. Spanning three intense episodes, the series provides unprecedented insights from people who personally knew Allen, leading viewers to believe the case against him may be stronger than ever. Revelations include unsettling accounts from family friends, who say Allen even took them to the very locations where Zodiac attacks occurred, blurring the lines between his public life as a teacher and the shadows of his suspected crimes.
The documentary also revisits the investigation through the lens of Zodiac, David Fincher’s acclaimed 2007 film, which raised awareness of Allen's possible involvement. With input from Robert Graysmith, the journalist whose work inspired Fincher’s movie, the series brings fresh evidence to light, leaving audiences captivated and horrified. Each attack location tells its own story, piecing together a map of the Zodiac Killer's reign of terror across California from 1968 to 1969, when he paralyzed the region.
6 Santa Barbara, California
Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards
In June 1963, high school seniors Robert Domingos and Linda Edwards went to a remote beach near Gaviota State Park in Santa Barbara County for “Senior Ditch Day.” The young couple didn’t return home that evening, prompting Robert’s father to search the beach, where he discovered their bodies in an abandoned shack. Both were bound with rope and shot multiple times with a .22-caliber weapon.
Investigators found the killer had attempted to set the shack on fire but failed, leaving the scene intact and raising troubling questions that would only deepen as years passed. Nearly a decade later, in 1972, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department announced a possible link to the Zodiac, noting unsettling similarities between this case and his other attacks.
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The ammunition used in the Domingos-Edwards murders matched the type Zodiac used in his 1968 Lake Herman Road attack. Like other Zodiac crimes, this incident involved an isolated outdoor setting, with the killer targeting a young couple in a place where escape was nearly impossible. These shared traits fueled speculation that Zodiac had struck years before his recognized spree in Northern California.
5 Benicia, California
Betty Lou Jensen and David Faraday
In the small town of Benicia, California, on December 20, 1968, high school students Betty Lou Jensen and David Faraday embarked on their first date, assuring Betty Lou’s parents they’d return by 11:00 p.m. Instead, the couple ended up parked along a secluded stretch of Lake Herman Road, a known “lovers' lane” spot. Shortly after 11:00 p.m., passing motorists spotted their car, a Rambler, along with two unmoving figures nearby.
Responding officers arrived to find Betty Lou fatally shot in the back five times. David, found near the car with a gunshot wound to the head, was still breathing but barely clinging to life. The crime scene revealed disturbing clues: bullet holes in the Rambler’s roof and rear window suggested the killer may have fired warning shots to force the teens out of the vehicle.
The randomness and brutality of the attack shocked authorities and residents alike, and the lack of a clear motive pointed toward a stranger-driven killing.
Investigators retrieved Winchester Western Super X shell casings, used in a .22-caliber weapon, likely a J.C. Higgins Model 80 pistol. The randomness and brutality of the attack shocked authorities and residents alike, and the lack of a clear motive pointed toward a stranger-driven killing. This murder, later linked to the Zodiac, marked the beginning of a spree that would terrorize Northern California.
4 Vallejo, California
Darlene Ferrin and Michael Mageau
In Vallejo, California, on July 4, 1969, waitress Darlene Ferrin and her friend, Michael Mageau, parked at Blue Rock Springs Park, a known spot for late-night gatherings. Around midnight, another car entered the lot, left, and then returned minutes later. The driver exited, shone a light on Ferrin's Corvair, and opened fire with a 9mm handgun. Michael was struck in the jaw, shoulder, and leg, while Darlene was hit multiple times.
Shortly after, a man called Vallejo police from a payphone, speaking in a low, calm tone as he claimed responsibility for the attack and also referenced the Lake Herman Road murders. Darlene succumbed to her injuries, but Michael survived, providing police with critical details about the shooter’s actions. Investigators found themselves at a loss for viable suspects. On July 31, 1969, Vallejo Times-Herald received a letter postmarked that day, in which the writer claimed responsibility for both the Blue Rock Springs and Lake Herman Road shootings.
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The letter included detailed information about the attacks, from the type of ammunition used to the number of shots fired, providing proof of his involvement. That same day, The San Francisco Chronicle and The San Francisco Examiner each received nearly identical letters, each accompanied by one-third of a coded cipher, which the writer demanded be published by August 1, threatening further violence if his demands were ignored.
In the Examiner’s August 4 response, the killer identified himself for the first time as "the Zodiac." Through these taunting letters, each packed with precise details of the crime, the Zodiac killer began to build his infamous legacy, fixating the public's attention on his chilling, calculated violence.
3 Albany, New York
No Confirmed Victim
In August 1973, the Zodiac case took an unusual turn when the Albany Times Union newspaper received a cryptic letter postmarked August 1 and bearing a crossed-circle symbol in place of a return address. The writer warned, “I AM ALIVE AND WELL AND IM GOING TO START KILLING AGAIN,” before threatening to kill someone on August 10 at 5:00 p.m. and hinting at “the shift change.” The letter included three lines of coded symbols.
FBI cryptanalysts deciphered part of the message, revealing a chilling reference to Albany Medical Center with the line, “This is only the beginning.” Investigators, however, found no crimes matching the details given. In January 1974, the Zodiac resurfaced with another letter to The San Francisco Chronicle, signed off with an ominous “box score” that read, “Me - 37, SFPD - 0,” a possible tally of claimed victims.
This letter contained a dark reference to Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado, hinting at potential suicidal thoughts. Shortly afterward, on February 14, he sent a postcard referring to the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA), the radical group behind the abduction of heiress Patty Hearst, signing the message as “a friend.” These messages continued to puzzle authorities and deepen the mystery around the Zodiac’s motives and whereabouts. In a further escalation, the Zodiac mailed a series of messages to the Chronicle in 1974.
A card postmarked May 8 condemned the movie Badlands for its “glorification of violence,” and on July 8, another letter lambasted the Chronicle columnist “Count” Marco Spinelli, suggesting the writer had deep-seated contempt for media portrayals of violence and certain public figures. Signed as “the Red Phantom,” this message showcased the killer’s ongoing attempt to provoke and unsettle the public through his unpredictable letters and sinister critiques, hinting at an underlying obsession with attention and notoriety.
2 Modesto, California
Kathleen Johns
In late March 1970, near Modesto, California, 22-year-old Kathleen Johns was traveling with her infant daughter along Highway 132 en route to visit her mother in Petaluma. As she drove, a vehicle pulled up beside her, with the driver signaling that her car’s wheel appeared to be loose. Pulling over, she encountered a man who offered to help, but instead, he loosened the lug nuts, causing her wheel to fall off as she attempted to drive.
The man then convinced Kathleen to accept a ride, but she quickly sensed danger as he made indirect threats about harming her child. Fearing for her safety, Kathleen bravely took her daughter and leaped from the vehicle, flagging down a passing driver who transported her to the nearest police station. There, she identified the man from a police sketch of the Zodiac killer. Months later, the Zodiac alluded to this encounter in a letter to The San Francisco Chronicle, referring to “a rather interesting ride” with a woman and her child.
This letter, postmarked July 24, 1970, was one of several cryptic correspondences that continued to deepen the mystery surrounding his identity. Over subsequent months, the Zodiac sent more letters to The San Francisco Chronicle, including a greeting card on April 28, 1970, where he demanded San Francisco residents wear “Zodiac buttons” adorned with his symbol—a crossed-circle.
In another, postmarked June 26, 1970, he enclosed a map with the same symbol marked on Mt. Diablo and claimed it pinpointed a bomb’s location. His July 26 letter detailed graphic threats and alluded to complex geometric codes, showing an obsession with control over his public image and terror in the San Francisco Bay Area.
1 Lake Berryessa, California
Bryan Hartnell and Cecelia Shepard
In late September 1969, college students Bryan Hartnell and Cecelia Shepard were enjoying a peaceful day by Lake Berryessa, located about 30 miles north of Napa, California. Their tranquility was shattered when a man wearing a hooded costume with a white crossed-circle approached, claiming to be an escaped convict in need of money and a car to flee to Mexico.
He bound their wrists with plastic clothesline and violently stabbed Bryan six times and Cecelia ten times as she fought for her life. The attacker then scrawled a crossed-circle and details of his previous murders on Bryan's car door. Later that evening, at 7:40 PM, the assailant called the Napa police department from a pay phone, confessing to the attack and directing officers to the crime scene.
Investigators determined that the message on Bryan’s car door matched the writing style of the Zodiac letters, linking this brutal attack to the infamous killer's spree.
This chilling call highlighted his desire for notoriety, as he described the crime as “a double murder.” Cecelia tragically died two days later, but Bryan C. Harnell survived the Zodiac Killer's attack to tell the harrowing story, touched upon in This Is the Zodiac Speaking. Investigators determined that the message on Bryan’s car door matched the writing style of the Zodiac letters, linking this brutal attack to the infamous killer's spree.
After decades of mystery, the Seawater family presents new evidence about the Zodiac Killer, sharing their story and naming the only suspect agreed upon by detectives.
Release Date October 23, 2024
Seasons 1
Network Netflix
English (US) ·